Railway Vehicle and Funicular Apparatus

Abstract

A funicular intended particularly for transporting heavy loads between an upstream station (10) and a downstream station (12), comprises a railway track (14) connecting the upstream station (10) to the downstream station (12) and a vehicle (16) running on the track (14) and drawn by at least one towing cable (30). The vehicle comprises a chassis (50) defining a median longitudinal vertical plane that rests on at least one pendulum running gear, comprising two independent lateral pendulum devices (60) situated on either side of the median longitudinal vertical plane, wherein each lateral pendulum device (60) comprises a secondary pendulum (62) articulated in relation to the chassis (50) around a horizontal secondary pivot axis and two primary pendulums, each articulated in relation to the secondary pendulum (62) around a horizontal primary pivot axis, wherein the primary pivot axes of the two primary pendulums are spaced apart from one another longitudinally on either side of the secondary pivot axis, wherein each primary pendulum is associated with at least two support rollers designed to run on the railway track (14), each rotating around a rotation axis parallel to the primary pivot axis of the associated primary pendulum and situated longitudinally on either side of the primary pivot axis of the associated primary pendulum.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates to a railway vehicle and more specifically a funicular, particularly for transporting heavy loads, such as for example confinement hoods for radioactive wastes intended to be buried in an underground site.PRIOR ART[0002]Document FR 2 954 747 describes a funicular designed to transport radioactive wastes between an upstream overground station and a downstream station of an underground waste landfill facility. An inclined ramp connects the upstream station to the downstream station and materialises a rail transport track and one or several counterweight tracks. A wagon runs on the transport track whereas one or several counterweights run in the opposite direction on the counterweight track. The wagon and the counterweight(s) are connected by two cables that each pass over a driving pulley, in order to give the installation redundancy with a view to increasing its safety. The metallic chassis of the wagon rests on track roller...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The arrangement of the primary and secondary pendulums of each lateral pendulum device serves to balance the forces exerted on the support rollers and therefore distribute the vehicle weight over a large number of support rollers.

[0012]According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the bearing integral with the vehicle chassis is situated at a distance from and forward of the secondary pivot axes of the secondary pendulums of the first pendulum running gear in the towing direction. This arrangement also helps to ensure correct orientation of the vehicle on the track.

[0013]According to a preferred embodiment, the vehicle comprises at least a second return pulley to guide a towing cable (which may or may not be identical to the towing cable passing over the first return pulley), said towing cable pulling the vehicle in a second towing direction opposite to the first towing direction, wherein the second return pulley has a rotation axis situated in the median longitudinal plane and rotating in at least one bearing integral with the vehicle chassis and preferably offset longitudinally in relation to the bearing of the first return pulley in the second towing direction. This arrangement likewise helps to ensure correct orientation of the vehicle on the track.

[0014]Preferably, the centre of gravity of the vehicle when empty is situated, in the first towing direction, at a distance from and to the rear of the bearing of the first return pulley, in the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle. This arrangement likewise helps to ensure, on an inclined, straight track, correct orientation of the vehicle on the track.

Problems solved by technology

This suspension, although designed to transport heavy loads, is not suitable for the conditions of use and does not guarantee balanced distribution of the load between the rollers.

This vehicle is not however suitable for travelling on an inclined track.

Moreover, no particular provision is made for loading and unloading the vehicle, nor for its braking, nor for its towing.

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